But the Nopa gods have smiled upon us and chosen to serve food until 1 a.m.,
unlike damn near every other restaurant in the city. So yeah, most of our
visits have been after 11. The food tastes better then anyway.

And what food it is. The menu rotates daily and focuses on everything you'd
expect it to - organic cuisine made with seasonal ingredients from local
purvey...blah blah, don't worry, it's delicious. The burger and pork chop
rightly go down in a number of "Best of" lists.

Nopa kills it on vibe, too. It's a destination that's Perfect For pretty much
everything, whether it's some Action At The
Bar, the
aforementioned Late Night Eats, or a Girls' Night
Out. It's a
huge duplex of a restaurant with towering ceilings and an open kitchen that
feels like you're dining in a sick loft space. And the place is buzzing every
night with the 20-30-something crowd. Brunch is sweet as well, and also pretty
happening (sometimes you can snag some bar seating if you go early).

So yeah, it's not exactly stop-the-presses news that Nopa is great. And as
much as we wanted to trash it to tamp down the crowds, we can't. Oh well.
We'll be back for midnight burgers, probably this week.

Food Rundown

Fried Spring Onions

These are full scallions fried up and served with a lemon aioli. It's a different way of eating onions, and
pretty damn good way too.

Poached Farm Egg

One of the best salads I've had in my entire life - a mix of
spiced ham, kale and butternut squash with a poached egg on top. This
combination of flavors is exceptional, and the crunch of the kale went
perfectly with the tender squash. If this is on the menu, it's a must order.

Flatbread Of Housemade Chorizo

The flatbreads are quite popular here, and this one of homemade chorizo,
potatoes, arugula, and crescenza cheese did not disappoint.

Grilled Calamari

Another dish we really enjoyed. Instead of serving their calamari fried, this
grilled octopus as served in easy to handle slices atop a bed of sweet, bushy
broccoli di ciccio and finished with hummus and spiced chickpeas. Again, it's
the unique combinations and excellent flavors that make this dish work so
well.

Grass Fed Hamburger

We had heard a lot about the burger and, as you can
see, it's quite an
attractive piece of meat. Not too big, not too small, with just enough soft
bun for the juices to soak up just right. We devoured this guy in a matter of
moments. The fries were good too.

Grilled Country Pork Chop

San Francisco takes their pork chops very seriously. This chop is almost on par with our favorite chop, which is forty minutes away
at Mustards Grill in Napa. It's the perfect cut of pork - juicy, tender and
not that fatty - served with braised greens, acorn squash and a delicious
mustard seed vinaigrette on top. You might need to split it with someone, but
you should definitely get after it.

Braised Short Ribs

The short ribs come in the form of a stew, served in a mini casserole dish
with carrots, potatoes, greens and salsa verde. It's another winner.

Custard French Toast

Very good French Toast, but not as eye-rolling amazing as the description
might have you believe. That said, at $7 per massive slice, this is a hell of
a deal.

Turnovers and Buns

A rotating cast of brunch pastries will never do you wrong. Have at 'em.